


Creativity

by TheTrueKingofEire



Category: Metro 2033 & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Badly Written Smut, Don't @ Me, Dubcon ig?, Fluff, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Smut, They're drunk so, autistic artyom, fuck korbut, pavel is an idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-02-08 12:34:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21476083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTrueKingofEire/pseuds/TheTrueKingofEire
Summary: Pavel, a gaming youtuber who is gaining fame by the day, is forced to accept an unexpected guest into his house: his old friend, Artyom. An aspiring young author who's been hit with a streak of bad luck recently. Pavel is willing to help a friend in need, but will his career suffer for it?
Relationships: Artyom/Pavel Morozov
Comments: 26
Kudos: 48





	1. Unexpected Guest

Pavel opened his eyes, groaning as there was a series of loud knocks on his door. He checked his phone next to his bed and noticed 7 missed calls. "Ah shit..." he mumbled, before checking the time, "3am? Who's knocking on my door at 3am?" He sat up, rubbing his eyes as he pulled on a shirt and a pair of shorts before he got up. He turned on the lights in his apartment and looked out of the window, frowning at the heavy rain. He then walked to the door and opened it, eyes going wide as he saw who stood there, holding multiple bags with him. "Artyom?" He asked, incredulous, "What are you doing here? Come inside." He stood to the side, noticing that Artyom was absolutely soaked as he walked in. "Did you walk all the way in this rain?"  
The other nodded, "y-yeah, I did..." Artyom yawned, "I'll explain in a minute... do you have anywhere I could hang up my jacket?" He asked, gesturing to the sodden piece of clothing.  
"Yeah, let me just turn on the heating. You've been in the rain for almost an hour, huh chuvak?" Pavel joked, though his smile dropped when he noticed that the other didn't react, "What's bothering you? Is it the reason you walked all this way?"

Artyom looked away, "I uh... I got evicted, and you were the closest person who I trusted..." Pavel felt something inside him warm at that, Artyom still trusted him? He quickly dispelled it however, and focused on the matter at hand.  
"Of course you can stay! If you don't mind sleeping on the sofa." He smiled, "Though I don't know why you didn't go to Anna, I thought you two were best friends?"  
Artyom shrugged, "I don't know... I just felt like... coming here would be better." Pavel could tell that Artyom was keeping something from him with the way he averted his eyes as he said it. It was something he'd noticed before...  
"Do you want a cup of coffee?" Pavel asked, putting Artyom's jacket on a radiator to dry, "You can sit down, you know, I don't mind my furniture getting a bit wet."  
Artyom seemed relieved at that, and sat at the small dining table, placing his bags next to his chair, "Yes, thank you." Artyom gave a small smile, the kind that made Pavel's heart stop for a moment.  
"Y-yeah, give me a minute, ay?" He fumbled with the coffee machine, trying to get it to work, "Damn thing..."  
When he finally got it to work, he turned to Artyom for a moment, "Is that really all you have? Just a couple bags worth?"

He shrugged, "Most of my stuff was still at Uncle Sasha's, so I only had to bring a few bags. Most of it is just clothes anyway."  
Pavel nodded slowly, "uh huh, alright." Pavel turned to finish making the coffee, pouring one for himself and one for Artyom, before placing the cup before him and sitting across from him. "So, what have you been doing since... we last saw each other." He said, avoiding a difficult topic.  
"I've been writing, actually." Artyom sipped his coffee, "I ran into a bit of trouble with my publisher, so I couldn't pay rent." He sighed, "Nobody else will publish anything, though. Anyway, how is your youtube channel going?" He asked, taking Pavel by surprise,  
"You know about that?"  
"Obviously." Artyom shrugged, and he averted his gaze again. Pavel chose to ignore it, however. If it was important, Artyom would have told him... right?  
Pushing his doubts to the back of his mind, Pavel brought his cup to his lips and almost choked as it burnt his mouth, and put it down nonchalantly. He couldn't fathom why Artyom liked to drink it when it was scalding hot, but he wasn't about to start judging him for it.

"I'm sorry for waking you up, by the way." Said Artyom, "I got caught up on the way here, otherwise I would have been here sooner."  
This piqued Pavel's interest, "It's fine. What happened?" He asked.  
"I... uh... nothing too bad." Artyom said, clearly trying to dodge the question. This caused Pavel to frown slightly, worried for the shorter man. He knew he could hold his own but he was concerned that he would end up hurt because of his refusal to ask for help. He attempted to reassure himself that it was probably something mundane like traffic.  
"You know you can trust me, right chuvak? I'm not going to hurt you." Not again, he thought, noticing Artyom's expression become more sombre. "Anyway, if I'm awake I may as well do some editing, make yourself at home, since you're going to be living here a while. I'll be in my bedroom if you need me." He chugged the rest of his coffee, wincing at the burn, got up and walked down the hallway to his room. He looked back to see Artyom staring at his cup silently, before entering the room and closing the door.


	2. Welcome to Pasha Productions

Artyom had been living with Pavel for over a week now, and Pavel had finally worked up the courage to approach him with an idea. He knew Artyom could get quite shy, but he didn't want to have to neglect him for ages as he recorded videos, or to force him out of the room. He walked into the living room and saw Artyom hunched over the table, asleep on top of a few pieces of paper. He sighed and shook his head, Artyom really needed to get some proper sleep. Pavel picked the shorter man up and carried him, bridal style, into his bedroom, before placing him onto the bed and tucking him in. Pavel went back into the living/dining room and went over too the table, gathering up the papers and humming softly. He paused to read one of the papers, eyebrows furrowed.

15th June, 2019  
My publisher refused my work again, even though they said they would accept it after I edited it a little. I have no money and no way of earning any. Rent is due soon, I just hope I'll be able to arrange something before I'm evicted. I managed to find a loaf of bread for really cheap at the grocery store. It's stale, but it's something at least.  
Why is it so hard to just be myself?

Pavel was confused for a moment, before recognising it as a journal entry. He put the paper in the pile and thoughts began to flood his mind. Why was his publisher refusing his work suddenly? Why didn't he tell anyone?" He resolved to make sure Artyom was as comfortable as he could possibly be here, and started by opening the fridge to prepare Artyom a big breakfast (even though it was noon). The stack of papers lay on the table, forgotten for the moment.

Pavel laid the table out, putting the meal he'd made in front of the chair where Artyom usually sat, before going into his bedroom to wake the other. Pavel sat on the bed, looking down at the other. He couldn't deny that Artyom looked cute while he slept, but the thought made him nauseous. He shouldn't be having those thoughts about other men. Pavel shook Artyom's shoulder gently, "Hey, Artyom, wake up."  
The other man's eyes opened slowly and he blinked and yawned, "What's up?" Artyom asked drowsily, as he sat up in the bed and rubbed his eyes. He looked around before furrowing his brows, "Why am I in your bedroom?"  
"You looked uncomfortable at the table." Said Pavel cheerfully, "You should be careful, d'artagnan, or you'll end up with a bad back."  
Artyom rolled his eyes, "Ever the mother hen, huh Athos?"  
The way Artyom had returned the nickname made Pavel feel giddy. "I made you some breakfast, since you haven't had any yet."  
Artyom smiled at that, "Thanks, Pavel. Just let me get changed into something?"  
"Oh, of course." Pavel got up, "Your food is on the table, by the way." He exited the room, hoping Artyom hadn't caught the way heat had rushed to his cheeks at the thought of Artyom undressed in his bedroom, though that left a sour taste in his mouth. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just be normal?

He shook himself out of his thoughts, walking into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee. He heard Artyom enter the room and turned to smile at him, "Do you want a coffee, chuvak?"  
Artyom nodded, "yes, please." Before sitting at the table, noticing the pile of papers there and reaching over to take them, eyes widening as he realised what he'd left on the table.  
Pavel finished making the coffee and brought it over to the table, sitting across from Artyom, "How did you sleep?" He asked.  
"O-oh I slept fine." Said Artyom, a pink blush covering his cheeks, "perfectly fine." Artyom began to eat the food before him, taking great care to not make a mess. "How did you sleep?" He returned the question, after he swallowed a mouthful.  
"I slept well." Replied Pavel, taking a moment to answer as he'd been lost in his thoughts. "I'm glad you did as well." He sipped his coffee, "So, Artyom. I have something to ask you."  
The other man paused his eating and raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"  
Pavel released a breath, "I have to start posting videos again in the next few days, and I don't want to force you out while I do. So... I was wondering if you'd like to do them with me?"  
Artyom froze for a moment, causing Pavel to fear that he'd been too forward, before the shorter man replied, "Yeah, sure."  
Pavel was ecstatic. He had a huge grin plastered onto his face, "Great! When should we record? Tomorrow?"  
Artyom chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Sure, Tomorrow sounds great."

Pavel could hardly wait.


	3. Camera Rolling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some internalised homophobia here and also some vomiting so if you don't like that stuff I'd recommend not reading the last half of this chapter

"So, d'artagnan, you ready?" Pavel turned to Artyom, grinning.  
"As I'll ever be." Replied the shorter man, a small smile curving his lips. "How exactly is this gonna work then?"  
"Well, we're gonna play Minecraft. You did download it onto your pc right?"  
"Yeah, I did. Thanks for paying by the way."  
"No problem." Pavel beamed, "So, I'm gonna make the world and then you join me and we start. We could also do a voice chat if you'd like?"

Artyom shook his head, "I uh... I'm not ready for that yet... sorry..."  
"It's fine, don't worry." Pavel put an arm over the other's shoulder's, "I don't want to force you to do anything you're uncomfortable with." He found himself looking at the other's lips, then his eyes were trailing down to his neck and how it would look covered in-

He snapped out of it, going pink, "S-so anyway, g-go start up minecraft and I'll set up the camera, alright chuvak?"  
He noticed the weird look Artyom gave him at his sudden change in mood but he was a bit preoccupied at the moment. He distracted himself by fiddling with the recording software and his microphone, before checking his webcam was connected. He started up the game and waited for Artyom to join before he began the recording.  
"Privyet, Comrades! Welcome a new minecraft series! In this lets play I will be joined by one of my best friends, Artyom!"

He looked down at chat and Artyom began to type  
'Hi guys :)  
I'm a little shy so I'm not gonna be speaking'

He smiled, "And without further ado, let's begin!"

They spent several hours, recording 9 episodes for this new series before they both logged off for dinner.  
"So, Artyom, how is it?" Pavel asked as they ate.  
"The food or the video?" Artyom replied with another question.  
"The video. Do you like it?"  
Artyom thought for a moment, "It's... strange. Knowing that people who don't even know me are going to watch me do stuff."  
Pavel raised an eyebrow, "Really? I never thought of it that way before. I guess it is strange huh." He chuckled, "I'm glad you're doing this with me, though. It... it means a lot to me." He smiled at the other sincerely, and his heart almost skipped a beat when Artyom returned the smile.

Pavel woke up, a yell caught in his throat. He looked over at the time on his alarm clock and frowned. It was 2:43am. He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes, when suddenly the image of Artyom appeared, unbidden. Of how he would look underneath-  
Pavel felt a swell of nausea at the back of his throat. What was wrong with him? He shouldn't be thinking like that about other men! These thoughts circled in his head, getting louder and louder until he was forced to get up and run to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before he began to vomit. Tears forming in his eyes.

He heard a light switch behind him and suddenly felt a presence crouched beside him, and a hand rubbing circles on his back, "Hey, are you okay?" Whispered Artyom softly. Pavel shook his head, trembling violently, "I-I'm so sorry..." he whispered, "so, so sorry..."  
He barely heard Artyom's reply as he fell into the warmth of the other, managing to fall asleep again despite his stomach's churning. He was glad to have dreamt nothing that time.


	4. Restless Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artyom is sleep deprived

It had been over a month since Artyom had first been in one of his videos, and everybody loved him. It always put a huge smile on Pavel's face whenever somebody commented about him. He would stay up later, after editing, just to read the comments about Artyom.

Recently, however, he'd begun to notice that Artyom was hardly sleeping at all. He always seemed to be awake and whenever Pavel asked he was dismissed with a vague statement and told not to worry, which only made him worry more. He didn't want to offend Artyom, however, so he was forced to watch as he got worse and worse until he could hardly stay awake during the day.

It was then that he decided that he had to confront Artyom. He waited until just before Artyom usually fell asleep and sat down with him,  
"You need sleep, d'artagnan."  
The other looked at him, exhausted. There didn't seem to be any emotion on his face at all.  
"I mean it, you're going to end up seriously ill otherwise, and I don't want that to happen." Pavel continued, "So... please. Get some rest."  
Artyom let out a sigh and relented, though he didn't say a word. He got up and went to his room and Pavel followed after a few minutes, peeking in to see Artyom passed out on bed. He smiled and closed the door, before going back to his own room to continue his editing.

He'd been going at it for hours. Trying to get it just right. He looked over at his clock and was surprised to see that it was almost 4am. "Huh, I guess I should take my own advice and go to sleep." He grinned to himself, saving the video and shutting down his computer. He was just about to get into bed, having already stripped down to his underwear, before he heard what sounded like a sob, coming from Artyom's room. He raced over there, almost slamming the door open before he remembered that Artyom was asleep. He slowly opened the door and saw that Artyom was curled over, trembling as he let out a few quiet sniffles. He gently reached our to touch the other and the way Artyom jumped almost frightened him.   
"Artyom?" He whispered, "Hey, what's the matter?"  
Artyom just shook his head, sitting up, swaying slightly. It was clear that he was barely even awake. Pavel then sat on the bed and leaned over to the other, pulling him into a hug. "Nightmares?" He asked, getting a weak nod from the shorter man after a few seconds had passed. He began to rub his back gently when he felt something wet on his shoulder, and heard a shuddering breath come from Artyom. He said nothing, just holding the other and stroking his back gently as he cried. 

When Artyom finally calmed down, Pavel moved to leave but was stopped by a hand on his wrist. He turned to see Artyom's pleading eyes, still shining with the remnants of tears. Pavel relented and let Artyom pull him into the bed, letting go of his wrist only to intertwine his fingers with Pavel's and hold his hand to his chest. Pavel suddenly had an urge to turn the other's face and kiss him, though he ended up pressing a light kiss to the other's head.   
"Sleep well, Artyom." He whispered as his eyes began to drift closed, the lull of sleep pulling him in.


	5. Betrayed Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pavel fucked up.

Artyom blearily opened his eyes, leaning back into the comfortable warmth pressed up against him. He let out a soft sigh as he brought his hand to his chest, interlocking his fingers with the fingers of the man who held him. As he began to slowly close his eyes again he felt the body behind him shift, muttering a few curses as Pavel woke up. He felt Pavel begin to sit up and was disappointed when he pulled his hand away. Pavel shook his shoulder gently and he turned onto his back, looking up at the other before he rubbed his eyes, yawning.  
"Morning." Pavel said softly, a small smile on his face, cheeks flushed a light pink.

Artyom replied with a thumbs up as he sat up, rubbing his eyes again, "What happened last night?" He asked, only now realising how strange the situation was. Pavel's face turned red as he scrambled to explain "W-well uh... you were having a-a nightmare. So I... uh..." he trailed off, looking away from Artyom, seemingly embarrassed. He cleared his throat, "W-we should get up." Pavel got out of the bed and briskly walked out, leaving Artyom alone and confused by his sudden change in mood. Did he do something weird? He wondered as he himself got out of the bed, rooting through the drawers to find some clothes. After he was dressed he walked out into the living room where Pavel was sat on the couch, sipping a cup of coffee. "Hey, Artyomich. I made you some coffee." He said, gesturing to a cup on the coffee table in front of him. Artyom sat down next to him and took the drink. "Thanks."

"So, uh, Artyom. Do you want to talk about it?" Pavel asked hesitantly. "Your nightmare, I mean. Was it about your mother again?"

Artyom froze, before glaring at Pavel accusingly, "How did you know that?"   
"Know what?" Pavel said smoothly. Artyom felt himself begin to get frustrated, "About what my nightmares are about." He put the coffee down, waiting for a response.   
"A-Ah well I... saw your journal open on your desk last night!" Pavel said, "I'm sorry..."  
Artyom was about to forgive him before he remembered. "I didn't leave my journal on my desk last night."  
"I..."  
"You read it, didn't you?" Artyom asked, rage simmering in his gut. "Answer me!"   
He could have sworn he saw Pavel visibly flinch, leaning away from Artyom, "I-I'm sorry..." he said, "I-I didn't mean to-"

"You never mean to, do you?!" Artyom yelled, "I can't believe you. The moment I trust you again you do something like this?!" He heard his voice crack but he didn't care, angry tears filling his eyes, he turned to go and grab his journal and pen from his room, before storming over to the door, looking back to see Pavel staring at him, tears glistening in his eyes, "I-"

He didn't wait to hear what he had to say. Slamming the door closed behind him as he walked away. As he listened to the regular sound of his footsteps he carefully began to piece together his neutral mask, hiding any and all emotion as he went through the city streets. As he continued his journey, he felt his limbs become heavy, and a numbness settled over him. He felt nothing. No anger, no sadness, no pain. Just a dull sensation that he let himself sink into, just aware enough to avoid bumping into people. He barely even noticed when he finally arrived at his destination, his head feeling like he had been shoved underwater. He waited for about a minute, he thought, before the door was opened and he saw the smiling face of his stepfather, Sukhoi. "Artyom!" The man smiled, though it quickly turned into a worried frown when he noticed Artyom's lack of reaction. "Hey, Artyom, is something wrong?"  
He suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to cry, and he pulled Sukhoi into a hug, burying his face into his neck as tears began to run down his cheeks. Sukhoi returned the embrace, rubbing his son's back gently, "There there, Tyoma, let's go inside..." he gently led Artyom inside, sitting him on the small couch as he shut the door behind them. "What's the matter, Artyom?"

Artyom pulled out a piece of paper from his journal and wrote down all that had happened that day. He handed it to Sukhoi and sat there silently, wiping his eyes periodically and sniffling. He hated crying, especially in front of people. It made him feel weak. He carefully watched Sukhoi's face as he read what Artyom had written, and he saw an expression of thinly veiled anger, though it quickly turned to a sympathetic one. Sukhoi sat next to Artyom and wrapped his arm over the other's shoulders. "Oh, Artyom..." he said softly, "Are you okay?"  
Normally Artyom would have shrugged him off and said he was fine, leaving to go and deal with his issues himself, but something compelled him to be honest. He shook his head as fresh tears began to flow down his face and Sukhoi just pulled him into another hug, comforting him as he sobbed for what felt like forever.

That night, he went into his old room to see that it was exactly the same as how he had left it, though there was less clutter than he remembered. He fell onto his old bed and stared at the ceiling, remapping the cracks he had spent hours staring at as a child. He didn't know what time he fell asleep, but when he awoke in the early morning, reaching for a phantom warmth that was never there in the first place...

He felt his heart break a little more.


	6. Solitude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to NekoNekoNii for helping me out with this chapter!

Pavel felt lost.  
He spent his days either lay in bed or at the bar, drinking his worries away. He couldn't help but have his mind drift back to the hurt, the tears in those green eyes, the hours he'd spent sat there, either sobbing or staring at the floor, his mind numb. He hadn't even looked at any of his games, or his camera. All of his social media was completely silent.

He just wanted to be alone.

Well, not entirely, he reminded himself, swirling the vodka in the glass, there was one person he wanted to see. So he could apologise, make amends, maybe even-  
He almost dropped his glass at his traitorous thoughts. Every time he thought about the man his thoughts took the same route. A soft brush of lips here, a hand running through soft hair... it made him sick.

He felt bile rise in his throat. He was disgusted with himself, his desires. He hated that part of him, tried to suppress it...

Not that it saved him.

A bitter laugh almost bubbled out as he thought of the futility of his actions, how no matter what he did he would never be worthy of love. I mean, who would love someone like him? Certainly not Him.

He was distracted from his thoughts by a familiar laugh, his heart beginning to race as he attempted to discreetly turn and look.  
He saw what he thought was the most beautiful sight, Artyom was laughing again, a stark contrast to the pain and betrayal he saw the last time they interacted. His heart fell, though, when he saw who Artyom was laughing with.

He supposed he should have been prepared for this. After all, Artyom was normal. Nothing like Pavel. It still didn't stop the tightening in his chest and the burning in his eyes. Maybe it was better to just leave. To forget about Artyom.

He got up to go to the bathroom, staggering a little on his way there, and he entered a cubicle, locking it and sitting there, head in hands. He felt himself trembling with rage and jealousy and-  
He barely noticed when the first sob hit him, or the next. He cried there for what felt like hours, attempting to muffle the echoed sound in the empty bathroom...  
Make that almost empty.

Pavel heard the door open and footsteps enter. They stopped in front of his cubicle (he thinks) and a voice called out to him, like a punch in the gut.

"Pavel?" He heard Artyom, concerned. He would have laughed had the concern in his voice not felt like a knife to the heart.  
"Hey, let me in..." 

Pavel found himself automatically reaching for the lock, hand trembling as he paused, an internal battle going on in his head. He eventually submitted and opened the door, his need for comfort outweighing his disgust and shame in himself. He rubbed his eyes as the door opened, and Artyom knelt before him, taking his hand. "Hey, calm down..." he whispered, "What's the matter?"  
Pavel just shook his head as tears continued to fall, and Artyom then stood up, "Come on, Sukhoi's isn't far. We'll get you somewhere safe and then talk about it, ok?"

He felt himself being pulled up by Artyom's insistent hand, led out through the bar quickly and down a few streets, the turns too quick for Pavel to properly process them in his current state. He barely noticed when Artyom stopped, unlocking the door and stepping inside the apartment. He led Pavel to what he presumed was Artyom's bedroom and then sat him on the bed, before seating himself next to him.

"Pavel, please tell me... I still care about you..." Artyom pleaded, though this only caused Pavel to feel worse. Why was he so caring? He felt another bout of sobs coming on and curled himself up, leaning into Artyom and feeling his breath hitch when the other embraced him.  
"I-I'm so sorry..." he cried, "I-I..."  
Artyom silenced him, "It's okay, okay? Just calm down..."  
He began to reassure Pavel as his sobs became quieter and less frequent, leaving him feeling hollow again. He felt Artyom get up and say something to him but he didn't hear it properly, something about tea?

He only looked up when the door opened again and Artyom was carrying two cups of tea, placing one on the bedside table. "So." He said, sitting down again, "What's wrong?"

Pavel sighed and began to explain what had happened, and he ended it with a genuine apology, which was more for his own benefit than Artyom's if he was being honest.

Artyom hung on to his every word, sipping his tea and listening intently. He only spoke once he was sure Pavel was finished.  
"I... may have overreacted. A small bit." He admitted, but Pavel looked at him in shock, "No, it was perfectly justified. I betrayed your trust."  
The unspoken 'again' hung between them, turning the atmosphere awkward and uncomfortable. "Look, I-I had no right to do that. It was stupid, and awful, and I really, really don't deserve you." Pavel said, "I mean, you've already moved on right? With that girl?"

Artyom looked at him puzzled for a moment, "I... don't follow?"  
Pavel sighed and looked away, so Artyom couldn't see the jealousy on his face. "The one you were with, is she your girlfriend or something?"

There wasn't a response, before he heard a fit of laughter, "She'd murder you if you said that." He smiled, "Never. Not in a million years."  
Pavel felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest at that, though he quickly shot down his own hopes with the reminder that Artyom was normal, an actual man.

"In all seriousness, however..." Artyom continued in a sombre tone, "I... need some time, okay? I just... I don't feel quite comfortable coming back just yet."  
Pavel felt himself deflate a bit, but he ignored the feeling, "Oh, I completely understand. Just... let me make it up to you, please?"

Artyom nodded, and all seemed right with the world.

Well, not quite.


	7. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sorry for taking ages to write this but ily all still dw <3
> 
> Btw this is where the abuse part comes in so if that sort of stuff triggers you I'd be careful (it's only rly mentioned but still)

It had been almost a year since the incident, and Artyom had finally agreed to move back in with Pavel.  
His youtube channel had been booming lately, with Artyom coming over ever few days to record a video with him. He was immensely popular, and his fans absolutely loved Artyom.

Pavel had ended up falling asleep in Artyom's bed, after they had stayed up until the early hours of the morning, the shorter man talking about his new story idea, gesturing wildly as he did so. He held the smaller man close to him almost on instinct, though the other didn't mind. However, the man's sleep was soon disturbed by another nightmare - a memory.

It was mostly a blur, though he could remember parts of it vividly.  
A punch, a kick, a sneering face. 

It just continued on and on and on until he suddenly woke, a concerned face staring down at him. "Hey, Pasha, what's wrong? You were screaming..."   
Pavel opened his mouth to speak, but found he couldn't as he almost immediately broke down into sobs, clinging to Artyom as he did so. He didn't stop for god knows how long, but Artyom stayed with him through it all and for that he was grateful. Artyom silently got up once he'd finished crying, coming back a minute later with a cup of tea. "Here." He said, handing it to him, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Pavel stayed silent for a moment, sipping the tea before speaking, voice hoarse. "I-I'm not... normal. Not like you are." He said, "A-And my Uncle didn't like that." Artyom paused, furrowing his brows before Pavel continued. "H-he used to um... h-he used to..." he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. The author looked at him with concern in his eyes, and... anger? Pavel worried that Artyom was starting to hate him to, or that he would if he told him why his Uncle didn't like him. "A-anyway it doesn't matter." He said hurriedly, looking away from Artyom.

He felt a hand take his and Artyom squeezed his hand gently, "Hey, it's okay, I won't judge. I promise." The man's words didn't do much to comfort Pavel, not as much as his gentle touch did. He swallowed thickly and spoke, "I-I'm gay." He said quietly, "A-and he used to... to beat me for it." He felt the tears coming again, staring down at his lap. He felt Artyom move his hand away and felt as though a shard of ice had pierced his heart. He hated him now. He knew this would happen, it did every time. He always drove everyone away from him. Why on Earth had he-

His mind went blank when he felt Artyom hugging him, not knowing how to react for a moment before burying his face into the other's neck and returning the embrace, sniffling. "Thank you... for trusting me." Artyom said quietly. "I-I know how hard that must have been for you..." he pulled back, leaving Pavel disappointed at the loss of warmth. "Well." Artyom changed the subject, in an attempt to keep Pavel's mind from wandering into dark places, "Since we're up, do you wanna play some minecraft?"

Pavel nodded, a shy smile forming on his face. He was okay. Artyom was okay. Artyom didn't hate him.

It was fine.


	8. For Fuck's Sake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> N  
S  
F  
W  
but srsly there is some very bad smut here  
as in the entire chapter

They were recording a video for a new series Pavel had started; playing horror games while drunk. Pavel could barely see straight, and had ended up giving the controller to Artyom after a jumpscare scared him so much he screamed and hid behind the shorter man. Artyom was hardly fazed by the jumpscares, simply grunting in annoyance when he died even as Pavel gripped onto him tightly. Eventually they finished the chapter and Pavel stopped the recording, turning the game off and laying on the sofa, "That was fun..." he said, blinking to try and see better.

Artyom made a muffled noise of affirmation, and Pavel looked up at the other, mouth going dry as he saw him take his shirt off. Seeing Artyom undressed was nothing new to him, but due to his intoxicated state he was mesmerised by the other, eyes drifting downwards, before flicking back up. His face turned warm when he saw the other man's flushed face, quickly looking away after their eyes met. How had he let himself get caught staring like that?! He found, however, that he couldn't keep his eyes off the other man for long, continuing his path downwards towards his groin. He forced himself to look away again, surprised by a hand on him and a pair of lips meeting his own. He tasted alcohol on the other man's breath, and something in him screamed that this was wrong, that he should be disgusted, but it was quickly silenced by the heat spreading through him. He pulled back to breathe after a few seconds, a string of saliva connecting their lips as they panted, "Tyoma..." Pavel said, leaning forward to press light kisses to the other's neck, moving down to his chest and being pleasantly surprised by how sensitive the area was, Artyom whining and squirming due to his touch. "P-pasha...!" The shorter man whined, causing Pavel to leave a small hickey on his chest, "Yes, Dorogoy?" He asked, voice low as he pressed another kiss to his chest. Artyom made a dissatisfied noise after Pavel pulled away, pulling him into another fierce kiss as he slipped his hand into the other man's pants.

Pavel moaned into the kiss as Artyom began to stroke him gently, bucking his hips into the other's hand, "T-Tyoma..." he moaned, "Shit..."  
This only spurred Artyom on as he began to increase his speed, though he lost his rythm for a moment when pavel put his hands into Artyom's pants, slowly beginning to stroke him as well. Artyom pulled Pavel into a kiss, moaning into it before pulling off, removing his hand and moving downwards, pulling his pants off and kissing his thighs around his groin, leaving a few hickeys as he did so.  
"A-ah shit..!" Pavel groaned, reaching down to tangle his fingers in the other's hair, gripping it gently. This only spurred Artyom on as he held the base of the man's cock, putting his mouth around the head and eliciting a moan. He slowly moved his head down, relaxing his throat to be able to reach the base, before moving his head back and forth, holding a steady rythm even as Pavel moaned above him, gripping his hair tighter. "Shit, Artyom... I-I'm gonna-" Pavel was cut off by his own sharp cry as he came, tightening his grip on the other immensely as Artyom swallowed his load easily, pulling back once he was done to pant. Pavel felt a blush forming at how little stamina he had. He was like a teenage boy damnit, and it had left him completely drained, years of being unable to relieve himself finally hitting him. His thoughts were cut off by another kiss from Artyom and the smaller man, as though sensing his exhaustion, got up and came back moments later with a blanket and a soft kiss to the man's cheek, though Pavel was already dead to the world.


	9. Aftermath

Pavel was knelt in front of a toilet bowl. Again. It was really quite comedic how many times he ended up here, but he certainly didn't feel like laughing. Every time he remembered Artyom's touch, a shudder ran through him. Why was he like this? What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just have fallen for some pretty girl at the bar instead of him?

Artyom, meanwhile, was lay in his bed, mind going overdrive. Why did he do that last night? I mean sure, he was drunk, but he definitely was not the type to enjoy casual sex. There must have been a reason... maybe it was the way Pavel had looked at him, or maybe...  
He decided to get up and go and get some advice. Dressing himself hurriedly and yelling a goodbye to Pavel before he left, unaware of the other man's situation.

Now that Artyom was gone, Pavel began to feel even more alone in his struggles. he knew Artyom had accepted him for being gay but after last night a spark of hope had been lit and he hate it. He tried to smother it as best he could but it stayed there, a constant, unmoving warmth in his chest and he was loathe to find out that he enjoyed it, enjoyed that hope no matter how unlikely it was that it would be fulfilled. Even if Artyom did like men, the chance that he liked Pavel was astronomically low, especially after all he'd done. The sex had probably meant nothing to the other, just a heat of the moment decision that didn't have any negative consequence for him, but left heaps for Pavel.

He rapped on the door before him forcefully, desperate to speak to the woman in the house. He let out a sigh of relief when the door opened and Anna stood before him. "What's wrong, Artyom? You look worried about something." She asked upon seeing him, "Why don't you come inside and we can talk about it?"  
Artyom followed her into the house, sitting down on the couch and sighing.

Anna sat next to him, leaning back, "Alright, what's up little rabbit?"  
Artyom didn't know how to say it, so he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "I... think I'm in love with my best friend but he just came out to me a few days ago and I don't want him to think I'm using him and we kinda had sex but not really and oh my god I just realised he probably thinks I was just using him to get off what do I-"  
"Slow down, Artyom. Calm down." Anna said, trying to reassure him, "Maybe you should... write something for him. That's how you deal with other feelings right? I can even help you if you want."

Artyom was silent for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly he wanted to do. "I... guess that's a good idea. Should I get started now?" He asked, uncertain. "Hey, maybe I could stay over and we can watch a movie of something. We haven't really spent time together in a while."  
Anna smiled, "Hell yeah, little rabbit. I know that Sasha and Shura will be happy to see you again, once they wake up." She said and, as though they'd heard her, two cats ran through the door and jumped up onto Artyom, one white and one black and settling onto his lap, purring as Artyom began to stroke them with a smile on his face, "Hello you two, miss me?" He asked, chuckling softly. Anna stood up, "Do you want a drink or anything? Or something to eat? Maybe a cup of tea?"  
"Oh, um, a cup of tea please?"  
"Of course. Just keep the cats occupied whilst I make it."

Pavel lay in Artyom's bed that night, hugging a pillow and burying his face in it. Hearing that Artyom was spending the night at Anna's place was like a punch in the gut after what had happened yesterday, and he felt almost empty, clutching the pillow tighter as if it could substitute for the warmth of the smaller man's body as he struggled to fall asleep.

Meanwhile Artyom was almost frantically scribbling well into the night, trying to figure out what he was going to say to the other. Anna was next to him, mostly there for moral support. He'd gone through more and more pages as time went on, unable to properly conceptualize his feelings. He finally managed to get it down, however, and fell asleep only a few minutes after.  
He just hoped Pavel returned his feelings, or it would likely ruin their friendship irrevocably.


	10. Resolute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie this was very self indulgent and also I didn't really have a plot for this chapter other than Pavel deciding to tell him his feelings so-

Pavel was scrolling through his tumblr, ready to close the tab at a moment's notice. He'd recently taken up the habit of scrolling through the "Partyom" tag, seeing what art and stories people had made of him and Artyom together. It always made him feel awful afterward but it was almost like an obsession. He craved the feeling of warmth that filled him whenever he imagined him and Artyom together despite the self loathing that had been beaten into him after years of abuse at the hands of his... carer. Czeslav Korbut. Even thinking of the name sent shivers down his spine. The man had, and he felt awful for thinking this, thankfully passed away about 6 years earlier. Though the scar over his eye was a constant reminder of him.

He realised that, during his musings, he'd scrolled over a very... suggestive piece of art. His face turning a bright red as he quickly minimized the tab, looking around carefully before he opened it again, paying careful attention to the photo. The flush on Artyom's face... he heard the door open and closed the tab, quickly turning around, "H-hey, Tyoma! Didn't see you there!" He chuckled awkwardly, his face turning a deeper red as he crossed his legs.

Artyom smiled, "Hey, Athos. I was going through the comments and someone said they wanted us to do a Q&A, So I was wondering what you thought of the idea?"  
"Oh, uh, I think it's a good idea, yeah." He smiled awkwardly.  
Artyom smiled, though it fell rather quickly, "Hey, um, Pavel... about... what we did."  
Pavel bit his lip, "Yeah...?"  
"I'm sorry. I-I know it probably felt like I was... taking advantage of your... orientation, but I want you to know that... well, that wasn't what I meant by that."

Pavel breathed a sigh of relief, before Artyom pulled him into a hug, "You're worth a lot to me, you know."  
He felt likes he was going to cry. Artyom really did care about him, despite everything he'd done... it made him almost hopeful, that maybe... maybe he had a chance.

Artyom ended up at Anna's again. He still hadn't perfected his letter to Pavel and it was starting to annoy him. Anna had started off trying to help him but had soon just left him to it. She eventually managed to convince him to take a break and play Terraria with her, the simple tasks of mining and gathering resources for a huge, map spanning town they'd been working on helping to calm him down. They'd even invited Pavel to play with them from home, and Anna had made so many innuendos that both of them had gone beet red.

Artyom thanked Anna again for letting him stay for so long, before he'd practically run home. Eager to see Pavel again. Despite the awkwardness of their earlier conversation. They had a Q&A to sort out, and he just enjoyed seeing how much the other loved making his videos, especially the way his face lit up whenever Artyom spoke, or the way he laughed at every joke he made, no matter how bad. They'd even made a vlog channel, though it was mostly filled with videos of Pavel stacking stuff onto him whenever he took a nap on the couch, which was equal parts amusing and annoying. 

Though probably his favourite part was after the recordings, when Pavel was still riding the high of doing the job he loved. The way he hummed whilst packing up the recording equipment, and also the way he sometimes fell asleep whilst editing, Artyom usually still awake working on a concept. It was adorable, seeing him sleep so peacefully, and the way he sometimes woke up a little when Artyom moved him to the bed, mumbling under his breath, barely conscious before he fell asleep again in his arms.

Meanwhile Pavel was reading some fanfiction of... well, very high quality. The characterizations were perfect. Hell, it was almost like he or Artyom had wrote it themselves. Especially the accuracy of which they described their routine. He chuckled as he realised they must have watched their vlogs over and over again for this level of detail.

He closed the tab once he heard Artyom enter the apartment, going out to greet him, and also force him to go to sleep at a reasonable time. Mainly because he didn't want to be alone in what had become their bed.

He decided he was going to tell Artyom. Maybe next week, maybe in a month. But he was definitely going to tell him.


	11. The end of a tale.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie I projected hard onto Artyom this chapter, and also I may have let the cheesy romantic in me kinda jump out.
> 
> Honestly, writing this has been a massive test of my ability to finish a project and I'm really happy that it's finally finished! It's a little bittersweet to say goodbye to this fic and how it's really encapsulated my growth as a writer from someone who could only write what were essentially scripts to now having a full blown fic.
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I love you all! 💙

Artyom felt sick to his stomach from nerves as he paced in his room. The desk usually covered in notes, drafts and mugs was now completely tidied save for a small envelope on it, having compulsively cleaned around due to his anxiety. He'd finally finished his confession letter to Pavel and was trying to build up the courage to give it to him but found himself hesitating, as though he were scared of being rejected. He didn't know how Pavel would react to the news as he'd only recently come out to him, but... Anna had told him to just get it over with, and he supposed that would have to do.

Pavel had gone out grocery shopping, trying to find something to cook for dinner. He doubted Artyom remembered but it was actually the anniversary of the first time they met, many years ago and he really wanted to almost celebrate it. He hadn't actually told Artyom about it yet, wanting to keep it a surprise, which is why he'd only practiced cooking the meal when Artyom had been staying over at Anna's (and unbeknownst to him, writing his confession.).

The man was humming under his breath as he walked through the store, mind wandering to the green eyed man. He wondered what Artyom was doing while he was gone. Probably trying to come up with another story. His mind then began to drift into daydream territory, and he almost sighed out loud as he thought of the man sleeping in his arms, quickly coming back to his senses with a barely noticable pink tint to his cheeks as he remembered where he was. He silently scolded himself and continued with his task.

Artyom had ended up just sitting on his bed, fidgeting with the weighted blanket wrapped around his shoulders as he tapped his foot nervously, waiting for Pavel to come home so he could give him the letter. He'd also put on one of Pavel's shirts, the garment just slightly too big for him, and was pressing it up against his mouth, trying to calm himself before the other came back and noticed that something was up.

Pavel got home at around 1pm and immediately began work. The dinner would take a few hours to make and he hardly noticed that Artyom hadn't said a word to him since he'd arrived, too focused on making sure everything was perfect. He eventually finished the preparation and just left it to cook, suddenly noticing how tense the other was and sitting next to him, "Are you okay?" He asked, concern colouring his tone. The other man just nodded, though Pavel could clearly see the signs of his nerves. He decided not to press the issue, however, and just asked, "Do you... want a hug?"

Artyom looked a little taken aback but nodded, leaning into the other as he put a careful arm around the shorter man, trying to read any signs that the other was uncomfortable with his touch, but he seemed to relax completely at even the slightest hold. Pavel smiled a little, glad that he was at least able to calm the other. "You know you can tell me if something's wrong, right?" He said, prompting the other to nod as he leaned into his chest. He opened his mouth as though to speak, then closed it again, burying his face into the other. "Do you want me to get your notebook?" Pavel asked and Artyom shook his head, just pulling out the envelope and handing it to him wordlessly.

Pavel was slightly confused, "For me..?" He asked, and Artyom nodded mutely, still hiding his face. He opened the envelope carefully and pulled out the small letter within.

Pavel, I spent numerous weeks wondering about how to express the joy that you have brought into my life. I know our relationship has been difficult in the past, but we've managed to get through it.

The truth is, I have been enamored with you as long as I can remember. When we first met, the way your eyes used to light up when you talked about how we were musketeers, and the way you never judged me for being different the way others have done always used to make me feel warm and safe, though I didn't recognise it for what it was then.  
Since moving in with you, I feel that the feeling has only grown and it eventually clicked for me, and everything made sense.

I want you to know that I love you, from the deepest corners of my heart. I want to be able to hold you, kiss you and just to be with you constantly. I hope that you return the feelings that I have for you, though I understand if you don't.

Just know that I would do anything for you.

Signed,  
D'Artagnan.

Pavel felt tears well in his eyes as he read, "A-Artyom, I..." he faltered, causing the other to look up at him.  
"I love you too, Tyoma..." he wiped his eyes, "Fuck, I-I don't know what to say. I think I might cry..." he laughed weakly, "Nobody's ever told me anything like this before..." a smile formed on his face as he leaned down to kiss Artyom on the head gently.

Artyom smiled and leaned against him, taking his hand and stroking it softly with his thumb.

Later that night, after they'd both eaten and spent half the night playing on minecraft just to relax and have fun together, Pavel held Artyom in bed, kissing his cheek softly. "Goodnight, Tyoma. I love you."

Artyom smiled and fell swiftly into a deep sleep, together with the love of his life.


	12. Creativity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I originally wasn't going to write this epilogue but to be honest I felt like it would be good to just show how things end up, especially if I (or anyone else for some reason) wants to write some one shots based in this universe.
> 
> I had a lot of fun trying to format it into a sort of "you're watching a video" type deal just to show the merging of their creative talents, which is exactly what the fic is named after!

~3 years later~

"Hey everybody! Pasha here! I hope you're all doing well this fine weekend!" Pavel smiled into the camera. His appearance hadn't changed much, aside from the small amount of brown hair that he'd let grow out over the years. "Today we're going to be going to a book signing! My favourite Author is in Vladivostok right now and I absolutely cannot *wait* to see him! I really recommend that you all try out these books because they're just amazing." He seemed extremely enthusiastic about it, and it was near infectious to you.

You'd heard him mention these books before and had actually read them because of his recommendation and they were just wonderful. The camera then moved to show a poster outside a small library, 'Legends of Ekh' written in gold lettering across the top whilst the three titles were below. 'The Lost Mage', 'A Werewolf's Folly' and 'A Last Hope'. The background was a picture of the two main characters, back to back with magic swirling around them. "Damn, I wonder if I'll even get to see him before he leaves." Pavel chuckled as he saw the huge line of people outside. "God I hope so, I brought all three books with me!" He showed the inside of a carrier bag hooked around his wrist with 3 books inside. "Well anyway, I'll see you all when I'm at the front!"

The camera then cut to his face, "Guys I'm nearly at the front and I'm so, so excited for this! Oh sh- it's my turn!" He turned the camera round to reveal Artyom, a familiar face on the channel. You'd grown to love him after he'd started joining Pavel in his videos despite, or even because, of his tendency not to speak. It was almost cute how he used other methods to get his point across.  
His face lit up upon seeing Pavel, "Pasha! You came!"  
"I sure did." Pavel chuckled, putting the bag on his desk, and taking the books out.

Artyom opened the front page of one of them to reveal a bunch of other signatures and signed again in an empty spot, chuckling quietly. Once he finished he handed the books back to Pavel with a smile, and then Pavel left, smiling giddily.  
It then cut to the evening, when Artyom was packing up. "Hey, D'Artagnan!" Pavel said, "You want some help?"  
Artyom smiled and nodded, handing him a small bag before he picked up another bag. "Let's get home." He chuckled.

A third cut was made, and Pavel opened the door to their quite large house. They'd made a tour video about a year ago just after they'd bought it, and the place had been massively improved since then. Anna was playing with Shura and Sasha, two frequent characters in the vlogs due to their near destructive nature.

"You're late for dinner!" Anna huffed playfully, laughing softly, "How did your signing go, rabbit?"  
Artyom beamed "Really well!"  
The camera turned to Pavel and then he put an arm over Artyom's shoulders, "Anyway, I think that's enough for this video, see you next time musketeers!" He gave Artyom a quick kiss on the cheek and they both waved before the video ended.


End file.
